Biannual Report of the General Secretariat
- This report covers the activities of the Council during the period January _ July 2016. The report outlines the agenda of the meetings of the Bodies of the Council, the decisions taken and their implementation. The General Secretariat also reports on the external participation of CAPP and relations with regional and international organization. The report of the General Secretariat updates contacts and agreements with the African Union and other African organizations.
- Firstly: meetings of the Bodies of the Council:-
Upon kind invitation from the National Congress Party, Sudan, Khartoum hosted the 6th meeting of the Standing Committee, the 2nd meeting of Executive Committee and the 2nd meeting of the General Assembly. The Standing Committee held its meeting on 27th of March 2016 and adopted the performance report of 2013, 2014 and 2015 and referred it to the Executive Committee. The Committee discussed the proposed amendments to the Statute of CAPP and recommended to forward them for more discussion by the Executive Committee. The Committee recommended that CAPP joins the Alliance of Climate and Environment and approved the draft of the Co-operation Agreement with UNESCO and the establishment of the Economic Council and Media Forum of CAPP.
- The Executive Committee held its second meeting on the 28th of March 2016 and discussed the proposed amendments of the statute and all the recommendations referred to it by the Standing Committee. The Executive Committee approved some amendments and decided to refer them to the General Assembly. The Executive Committee decided to establish the Economic Council and the Media Forum of CAPP as recommended by the Executive Committee and made some recommendations to boost the administrative and institutional performance of the Council.
- The General Assembly held its second meeting on the 29th of March 2016, in which 57 delegates representing 26 Political Parties from 21 countries along with senior leaders of the host country, the representative of the African Union to Sudan and the African Ambassadors in Khartoum. The General Assembly discussed all items on the agenda and adopted the report of the General Secretariat and recommended that the Secretariat organize workshops to discuss issues of interest to Africa.
The General Assembly discussed in detail the proposed amendments to the Statute item by item and introduced some amendments most important of which is the enlargement of the membership of the Standing Committee and the establishment of Regional Coordination Councils. The General Assembly adopted the plan of action Framework for 2016.
The meetings of the Bodies of the Council were very successful with large representation of the Political Parties and contribution in the discussion and decision taking.
Secondly: Cooperation with Regional and International Organization:
- The council of African Political Parties Participated actively in the tri-partite meeting of CAPP, ICAPP and COPPPAL held in D’jakarta, Indonesia on 22nd -24th.April 2016.H.E. the Secretary General and representatives of twelve African Political Parties participated in the meeting.
- The meeting discussed in three sessions issues of political freedoms, enhancement of democracy, climate change, regional problems, conflicts, terrorism, corruption and good governance. Participants in the meeting stressed the importance of cooperation between the three organizations to strengthen democracy and welfare of the peoples which was the theme of the meeting.
- E. the Secretary General of CAPP presided one of the three sessions and organized a meeting to coordinate between African delegations. H.E. the Secretary General held meeting with the President of Golkar party and the Democratic Party of Indonesia, who co-hosted the meeting .H.E. the Secretary General also met Mrs. Helga Steven, member of the European Parliament, and briefed her on the activities of the Council since its establishment in 2013 and they discussed areas of cooperation between the Council and European Parties.
- The final communiqué stressed the need to hold regular meetings and the establishment of a mechanism to co-ordinate the tripartite cooperation as a flashback for the Bandung conference held between Asia and Africa in the fifties of the last century.
The participation of the Council of African Political Parties with many Political Parties reflected the keenness of CAPP to play its role at continent level.
- Thirdly :Joint training program of Youth and Women Wings:27th June – 6th July 2016:-
The Council organized in co-operation with China a training program for 16 young men and women from thirteen English speaking Countries. The program included lectures on the State and the Party in China, Chinese African relations Party structure discipline and experience of the Party in the upward build-up the Party. The program included field visits to rural development areas within the program of poverty alleviation. The program also included training of Youth in Politics in the institutions of the Party and professional training. The next training program in China will be from French Speaking Countries.
Fourthly: Relations with the African Union Participation in the 26th Summit of the A.U:
- The Council participated as observer in the 26th Summit of the African Union held in Addis Ababa on 26 – 31 January 2016 in accordance with the Memorandum of understanding signed between the two Parties in August 2013. The delegation was headed by H.E. the Secretary General and held meetings with officials at the African Union. Summary of the conclusions of these meetings are as follows:-
1/Political Affairs Department and elections:
- The Director of the Political Affairs department agreed to the following proposals presented by the General Secretariat:
- Endorse the list of observers to elections in Africa of the Council provided that the C.V including the educational qualifications and experience.
- Training of observers of the Council in a program funded by the A.U.
- Assist in capacity building of Political Parties to implement the African charter on good governance, elections, human rights and rule of constitution and law. The General Secretariat looks forward to receiving the vision of the AU on this matter.
2/Department of Human Rights:-
- The Council and A.U will intensify contacts to agree on the participation of political parties in workshops of the A.U to implement the African Charter on human rights.
- Organization of a joint workshop on the participation of Political Parties in the implementation of the African Charter on the Rule of law, good governance and human rights for African Political Parties.
- The representative of the African Union made full presentation on the declaration of 2016 as the year of human rights with special emphasis on women rights on the margin of the General Assembly of CAPP.
To boost cooperation between the Council and the African Union, the General Secretariat is planning a visit to the A.U Commissioner of political Affairs.
3/ the Peace and Security Council:-
- The Commissioner of the Peace and Security Council agreed to cooperation with Political Parties in the prevention of conflicts that relate to contesting election results. Both Parties will consult on how they can cooperate on issue:
Fifthly: Observation of elections in Uganda:
- Upon invitation from the African Union, the assistant to the Secretary General of CAPP participated in the observation mission of the elections in Uganda on 18-19 February 2016. Arrangements made by the A.U were very good including selection of observers from representatives of African Ambassadors accredited to the A.U Pan-African Parliament, election commissions in some African Countries and civil society organizations.
Sixthly: Relations with the Pan African Parliament and Regional and African Parliaments:-
- 1/Pan African Parliament:-
H.E. the Secretary General visited the Pan African parliament and delivered a statement to explain the objectives of the Council and its activities. A meeting was held with the president of the parliament and the president of the Pan African parliament later visited the premises of the Council in Khartoum and agreed with the Secretary General of CAPP to sign a memorandum of understanding in Egypt in October 2016.
2/Parliament of the Great lakes:
The Assistant of the Secretary General participated in the activities of the parliamentary Forum of the region of the Great Lakes, namely the meeting of the Development and natural resources held in Khartoum, Sudan in April 2016. He was elected president of the Forum for one year. In this Framework a workshop on the use of natural resources for economic development was held in Nairobi, Kenya.
3/Meeting with the Kenyan parliament delegation:
H.E. the Secretary General met the Kenyan parliamentary delegation in visit to Khartoum, Sudan. It was agreed to strengthen the objectives of the Council in Parliaments to achieve solidarity to free the will of the continent.
Seventhly: Media and the Website:
The department of media arranged media coverage for activities of the Secretariat which included for the period covered by this report the media coverage of the meetings of the Standing and Executive Committees and the General Assembly held in Khartoum 27 -29th March 2016.
- the Website :-
The website of the Council has been developed prior to the meetings of the Bodies of the Council and served to :-
- Extend invitations and post all the documents of the above meetings.
- Live coverage of the deliberations of the General Assembly session and website update from inside the General Assembly including pictures, Statements, Videos of the General Assembly.
- Coverage of the lecture of the African Union on human and Peoples rights and its dissemination through the website in Audio and Video.
- Posting of the documents of the Council signed by H.E. the President of the Council on the link- documents the Council in three languages they are:-
- Statute 2016.
- Rule of the Youth Wing.
- Rule of the Women Wing
- New links were added to the website one for the Youth Wing and the second for the Women Wing.
- Regular coverage on the website of the activities of CAPP and meetings of the Secretary General and Statements issued by the General Secretariat.